Setting achievable goals using DAPPS

“We…believe that one reason so many high school and college students have so much trouble focusing on their studies is because they don’t have a goal, don’t know what all this studying is leading to.” Muriel James & Dorothy Jongeward

Research at Yale University Researchers asked members of the class of 1953 if they has specific, written, long-term goals. Only 3% did. 20 years later, the researchers contacted the same graduates to see what happened to them. The 3% with goals had lives that were measurably better than the 97% without goals. The 3% who had set specific goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% put together On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

How to set a goal To be effective, a goal needs five qualities: DAPPS DAPPS is an acronym for Dated Achievable Personal Positive Specific Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

D - Dated Effective goals have specific deadlines Short term goal usually has a deadline within a few months or less Long term goal usually has a deadline of a year or more (sometimes 5-10 year) As deadline approaches, your motivation typically increases. This energy helps you finish strong. If you don’t meet your deadline, you have an opportunity to examine what went wrong and create a new plan Without a deadline, you might stretch the pursuit of a goal over your whole life time Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

A - Achievable Effective goals are realistic Example Running the marathon… Practice 1 week before the marathon by running around the block Practice 1 year before the marathon with someone that has completed a marathon Set your limit: not too high and not too low Ask your self: “Can this be done?” Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

P - Personal Effective goals are your goals, not someone else’s Ask yourself if your current goals contribute to your personal dreams Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

P - Positive Effective goals focus your energy on what you do want rather than on what you don’t want Translate negative goals into positive goals Example Negative: I will stop being late to class Positive: I will arrive on time to every class Negative: I will stop eating junk food Positive: I will start eating healthy food Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

S - Specific Effective goals state outcomes in specific, measurable terms Example Good: My goal is to do better this semester Better: I will achieve a 3.5 GPA or better this semester Good: My goal is to play better at basketball Better: I will score at least 80% more often on the basketball court Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

How to set a Goal: DAPPS Rule Dated: specific deadlines for goals Achievable: realistic goals Personal: effective goals are your goals, not someone else’s Positive: focus your energy on what you do want rather than what you don’t want Specific: effective goals state outcomes in specific, measurable terms Workbook – page 40 On Course 4th Ed, Skip Downing

When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. -- Seneca